Temple attack toll 10; Jammu bandh partial

31 March 2002The Hindustan Times

Jammu: The death toll in Saturday''s attack on the Raghunath temple here has risen to 10. Shanker Singh of Jaganu, Udhampur, who was critically injured in the militant attack, succumbed to his injuries in hospital on Sunday morning. Meanwhile, VHP and Bajrang Dal activists took out a procession from Raghunath Bazar to Purani Mandi, shouting anti- Farooq slogans and demanding more security for places of worship. The two organisations had also called for a general shutdown on Sunday. Though the bandh was partial in Jammu city, life in Bhaderwah and Udhampur almost came to a standstill as all shops and commercial activity stayed closed and traffic remained off the roads. While there were stray incidents of stone throwing at Indira Chowk in Jammu, more than a dozen vehicles in Udhampur town were damaged when some youths took to stone pelting to enforce the bandh. Six of them were arrested. The bandh in Udhampur, however, was near total after news of the death of Shanker Singh reached town. At the Raghunath temple, devotees cleansed the historic complex for hours to purify it for prayers. The bells tolled in the temple after 24 hours and special prayers were held for all those who lost lives in the terrorist attack and also for restoration of peace in the state. Priests assisted by devotees performed a cleansing ritual at the temple complex, a priest said.